PSP ad mocks iPhone gaming, promotes older games

Sony is trying a new strategy with the PSP: mock cell phone gaming, and Apple …

It's odd to see a gaming company as large as Sony admit that it's battling Apple—or any cell phone manufacturer—for gaming dollars. A new ad for the PSP mocks the games found on a device that looks very much like an iPhone, and hypes Sony's collection of older PSP games that are being sold for $10 as a better solution than cell phone gaming.

It's interesting: the PSP is basically setting itself up as an alternative to iPhone games, which is the opposite of how that argument usually plays out. Sony is also promoting inexpensive, older games as a reason to enjoy the PSP instead of looking ahead to big-name upcoming titles.

Sony is missing some key points here. Cell phone games are popular because they are inexpensive, work on a device that you already carry with you, and can be purchased from nearly anywhere. Still, with only 84,000 units sold in July in the US, Sony has to find new markets for its portable to remain relevant. Going after Apple? That strategy carries some significant risk, especially when potential customers are being yelled at by a kid for enjoying their games.

Wow that commercial is weak. How about play up the PSP's positives? The iPhone has games that look just like the ones demoed in the spot. All the ad did for me was highlight that although both play games, the PSP lacks cell phone connectivity. Sukka.

Sony obviously doesn't get it. I'm 29, I will never again own a Nintendo hand held or a Sony one because I don't 'game on the go'. I do play games on my iPhone however because there's no commitment. I can play it and stop it anytime I want. My 'gaming' sessions last all over 10mins at their longest.

This style has worked for the PS3, so I’d imagine they’re betting on that. Haven’t seen the commercial yet, so I can’t comment on its merits—but I will say that I’m getting a little tired of this kind of advertising. I’m glad to see the I’m a Mac commercials die off, very glad to see Verizon Wireless tone down its mockery of ATT, and I’d be happy to see Sony switch gears (no more ‘ooh, we have buttons!’ commercials, please..), too.

Looks like that’s not gonna happen any time soon.

It does seem like they’re in line to hype up the new phone—but antagonizing the market doesn’t seem like the best way to do it, not right now at least.

Have to say, though, that I was fairly surprised by my cousins over the weekend. Two of them got PSP Gos, and they’re loving ‘em. I jokingly said, “I’m sorry,” and they both responded with all the advantages of the new system. These are the first PSPs they got, so they missed out on the UMD thing. They also share games by attaching both PSPs to one cousin’s account, so the library cost is really low. It’s not for me, but they seem to enjoy the Go.

I agree with PavJ, I don't think the PSP is in a position to throw stones at anyone.

This does remind me of when they released LocoRoco on the cell for $7 and it struck me as an overpriced flash game. Sony had a serious reality distortion field around the PSP, but I think it's over. Where are all the guys that will pay $20-40 for portable games on a $200 non-phone bulky 'portable' system going to come from in the iphone era?

I like Sony's PS3/PSP ads, they have a nice rhythm and humour to them. But for anyone with an iPhone and access to its App Store games I have trouble seeing the attraction of the PSP. If the same isn't true for Android phones and the Android Market, I'm sure it will be soon. The days are numbered for the games-only PSP form factor - Sony had better be working hard on something new.

The saddest part about all of this is that of Sony just dropped an off the shelf OMAP chip and some RAM into something like a PSP go, they could easily have an excellent gaming platform quite inexpensively. Cell phones have to worry about antenna placement (as sharpened by recent events), touch screens, service provider input and/or crapware, and a lot of other things that you can just ignore for a gaming platform. A lot of these doom and gloom ideas about portable gaming vs. smart phones assume that you can buy and carry two devices or just stick with the one you are already going to carry. But Sony has made things MUCH worse even than that. The PSPgo is nowhere NEAR as capable as modern smart phones are. The hardware is stone age compared to what's in iPhones/Galaxy S/EVO 4G/etc. It's not even about carrying a second device, but carrying one that so under performs the one you already paid for. Sony needs to stop undermining their own (in my opinion long since waning) credibility by trying to sell us sh*t in a can and make something better; like a PSP2 with real, actual, modern hardware in it.

If the is what their making fun of Apple will be laughing all the way to the bank... Apple's on track to have 100 billion in cash on hand by the end of 2010. Possibly surpassing Exxon-Moblie in market value and quarterly profits by early next year, with Microsoft left in the dust.

I agree with joehonkie, the Rage 5 announcement shows the true potential of the moblie phone gaming market.

My PSP is in a drawer gathering dust (actually it probably somewhere under my bed). Even before iPhone and iPad the DS had more interesting and novel game-play. Novelty is one area where PSP seriously lacks. Most new games for PSP are games I have played before, just with a new skin on them. Now, however, even my DS has been displaced by my iPad...<sniffle>... least until the next Professor Layton game comes out (and maybe Zelda). I use my iPad for a lot of school and research-related activities (Grad Student) so, as one comment posted earlier, my iPad device is handy already handy to me...as is my iPhone. Many of the games are quite novel in content and in play style too. Finally, iGames are cheap with most far less than $10.

Sony's next PSP had better include always-on wireless connectivity if it's going to compete with the iPhone and iPad (or similar devices). I think that Squeenix and EA have demonstrated that consumers are starting to warm up to the idea of paying $12 or $15 for a top-quality title, and the devices themselves are capable of delivering far better video quality than the aging PSP Go. The real killer feature of iPhone gaming, though, is the ability to have platforms like OpenFeint (and soon, Game Center) in order to play online from anywhere.

Nintendo will probably play it safe again, for another generation, forgoing cutting-edge networking technology in exchange for focusing on the quality and presentation of its first-party titles on the 3DS. But if Sony's worried about the iPhone, as they clearly are, they will need to be extra-worried when Windows Phone 7 comes out, with Live integration. The networking platform that drank PSN's milkshake on consoles may prove to be a formidable opponent on mobile devices as well.

Personal anecdote: I'm an iPhone/iOS nut, but I'm very, very tempted to get a mobile device for the sake of earning gamer points to my Xbox Live profile on-the-go. Sony needs to do something about that.

Sony don't have the gamer at heart, it's all about the money and their stinking advertising won't fool anyone. Remember Lik Sang! The arrogance of the overpriced PS3 release has also not been forgotten.

Sony obviously doesn't get it. I'm 29, I will never again own a Nintendo hand held or a Sony one because I don't 'game on the go'.

I think you missed the point of the ad completely. No 20-something is going to buy a PSP so the ad can attack the 20-something without losing a single sale. The ad isn't aimed at 20-somethings, the ad is aimed at kids who already own or might own a PSP. The ad makes kids feel good about the PSP and maybe buy more games for it instead of lusting for an iPhone like an adult.

Sony obviously doesn't get it. I'm 29, I will never again own a Nintendo hand held or a Sony one because I don't 'game on the go'. I do play games on my iPhone however because there's no commitment. I can play it and stop it anytime I want. My 'gaming' sessions last all over 10mins at their longest.

That makes you the target market for iPhone games. Smartphone games seem to be just little time wasters for when you are waiting for something else to happen. They aren't bad for what they are, but when I actually want to sit down and play a game, an iphone is the last thing I reach for. In my experience, smartphones are ill-equipped for "serious" gaming. The horsepower may be there, but the controls are downright horrible (unless you have a smartphone with a few buttons.) Also, whenever a phone call comes in, my game is interrupted. I'll stick to my old PSP when I want to game on the go.

Sony is missing some key points here. Cell phone games are popular because they are inexpensive, work on a device that you already carry with you, and can be purchased from nearly anywhere.

Umm...there's around 100 titles for less than $5 for PSP on PSN, and they can be purchased anywhere there's a WiFi connection? Should this quote be revised to "Ben ignores basic fact when it suits the tone the article wants to push" ? Sure, there's the "device that you already carry" argument, but rumor has it that distinction will go away in 2 months.

Couple inexpensive (as well as more traditional) options on PSN on the rumored PSP phone with the XBLA on Windows Phone 7 possibility and this sort of ad campaign seems obvious. Nintendo has too firm a hold on the handheld market for new entrants to force their way into the market without massive losses. Why go head to head with Nintendo when you can just try to marginalize their market with improvements to another that you're already well vested in?

The thing about it is the fast cpu/graphic capability of new cell phones come at a certain cost. People wouldn't buy a $600 portable gaming system. But will buy a $600 (free or minimal price with contract) phone. And if you don't want to take two or more things with you, a phone is what you're taking. Sorta like the saying: The best camera is the one you have with you. Its similar for games. The phone is already with you all the time, why not use it?

I've never found the iPhone a very compelling gaming platform, but it's a lot better than the RAZR I had before. However, I have a few games on the iPad that I really enjoy. The larger screen and faster processor really make a difference.

I've never found the iPhone a very compelling gaming platform, but it's a lot better than the RAZR I had before. However, I have a few games on the iPad that I really enjoy. The larger screen and faster processor really make a difference.

I'd agree with this too. But Sony can't really compete against the iPad, I don't think anyone else has such a device out that as big a screen and yet as mobile either. I don't really see what's the point of them tooting their horn about 9.99 games on the PSP, what about 9.99 games on iPad that both LOOK and SOUND better than the PSP. But even so, with iPhone 4, they're losing that battle, b/c of the Retina Display and games designed for that resolution.

Wow that commercial is weak. How about play up the PSP's positives? All the ad did for me was highlight that although both play games, the PSP lacks cell phone connectivity. Sukka.

iOS devices do WAY more than merely play games. It's smart of Sony to avoid direct comparisons, which would inevitably make that MINOR point surface.

If I were a parent, buying a mobile gaming device for my kid, there's NO WAY I'd buy a PSP. They simply aren't as capable or flexible as an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad. Those devices even masquerade as serious tools via the plethora of apps available, never mind the fact that all of them double as iPods.... ALL of those facts hammer any sort of comparisons to a PSP.

The thing about it is the fast cpu/graphic capability of new cell phones come at a certain cost. People wouldn't buy a $600 portable gaming system. But will buy a $600 (free or minimal price with contract) phone. And if you don't want to take two or more things with you, a phone is what you're taking. Sorta like the saying: The best camera is the one you have with you. Its similar for games. The phone is already with you all the time, why not use it?

The Pandora handheld is only $350 and that's from a very small group of open source enthusiasts. If they had Sony's economy of scale and manufacturing connections, I'd expect the same device could be sold for $250 while still making a tidier profit than the Pandora team is probably making. It's taken long enough to come to market that it's a hardware generation behind the latest smart phones, but still vastly more powerful than a PSP. My point is that Sony could EASILY put something out at the $200-$300 price point that blows the PSP out of the water, and keeps up with the latest $500 smartphones.

Edit: I'd like to clarify. I'd be extremely surprised if Sony isn't currently working on a 200-300 dollar device that blows the PSP out of the water. My actual point (the one I didn't make in my post) is given that Sony is likely working on something new, and that everybody seems to agree that the PSP is old and busted, and the PSPgo did zero to pump up the brand, Sony shouldn't be insulting our intelligence and undermining their own credibility by continuing to push an old and busted device onto a customer base who has clearly noticed that it's inferior to pretty much any other piece of technology you see on TV today. If they've got something new coming, let the PSP quietly die and save your breath for PSP2's (hopefully warranted) hype.

Smartphone games seem to be just little time wasters for when you are waiting for something else to happen. They aren't bad for what they are, but when I actually want to sit down and play a game, an iphone is the last thing I reach for. In my experience, smartphones are ill-equipped for "serious" gaming. The horsepower may be there, but the controls are downright horrible (unless you have a smartphone with a few buttons.) Also, whenever a phone call comes in, my game is interrupted. I'll stick to my old PSP when I want to game on the go.

One thing to keep in mind about the various controlling systems for iOS devices is that they are completely fluid. They are SOFTWARE based. This can be a pro or con depending on the skill of the interface designers and programmers for a given game.

Granted a lot of the control systems are rough and clunky, but it's really only a matter of time before these systems are refined.

Your "real" button operated gaming systems may have some advantages in certain types of games, but there are some excellent iOS games which use tapping, titling, swiping, software buttons and other types of "controllers" than are quite good and extremely immersive.

One thing to keep in mind is that they are DIFFERENT from a traditional button clicking sort of game experience. It's important to not have expectations.

I have both an iPod touch and an iPad and find myself playing different types of games on each device, with some overlap.

PSP 3000 (which I think is the best current model PSP) is $170. iPhone is starting from $500. OUCH.PSP is really good at gaming. iPhone really isn't. iPhone has cheaper games going for it though. The cheapest you find PSP titles is $20 while most iPhone games are around $5. I haven't checked out PSP Minis though.

I like playing PSP on my TV with the TV-out function. I doubt I'm the only one. I don't think this is possible on iPhone, but what do I know.

Your "real" button operated gaming systems may have some advantages in certain types of games, but there are some excellent iOS games which use tapping, titling, swiping, software buttons and other types of "controllers" than are quite good and extremely immersive.

One thing to keep in mind is that they are DIFFERENT from a traditional button clicking sort of game experience. It's important to not have expectations.

I have both an iPod touch and an iPad and find myself playing different types of games on each device, with some overlap.

Try to have an open mind. Seriously.

I try to have an open mind, but that's not sufficient to overcome the iPhone's deficiency as a gaming device. Any kind of traditional video game is effectively unplayable on the iPhone (no matter how inventive developers get with the controls) and any new-breed game is incredibly shallow or otherwise non-fun (subjective, I realize). I cannot argue that there will not be a great iPhone game released tomorrow, but it's been over a thousand "tomorrows" since the iPhone launched and I'm done holding my breath for the advent of that hypothetical game.

That said, there are only two games on the PSP that I still play -- Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles and God of War: Chains of Olympus, and the latter only occasionally. Sony should elicit one more purchase from me with the new God of War game, but that's likely the last in the PSP's lifecycle.

Reading articles like this makes me thank my lucky stars for my 27" monitor at home, attached to a real computer/real sound system with sufficient power to run what I consider to be real computer games... It also further reinforces my joy at using my cell phone as a cell phone and absolutely nothing else! I can well understand the "kid" aspect to the PSP, but I will never understand the "adult" fascination with "playing games" on their itty-bitty, teeny-tiny iPhone cell phone screens. *shudder* (Talk about myopia!)

Sony obviously doesn't get it. I'm 29, I will never again own a Nintendo hand held or a Sony one because I don't 'game on the go'.

I think you missed the point of the ad completely. No 20-something is going to buy a PSP so the ad can attack the 20-something without losing a single sale. The ad isn't aimed at 20-somethings, the ad is aimed at kids who already own or might own a PSP. The ad makes kids feel good about the PSP and maybe buy more games for it instead of lusting for an iPhone like an adult.

Sony obviously gets it.

I bought the PSP and I won't say how old I am lol. I sold it because I prefer the console versions of gaming though.

But back on topic. Sony's ad was lame. But I do think it's point was correct. I think it was aimed at anyone thinking of using their iPhone as a gaming device, not exactly kids only. For heavy duty handheld gaming, the PSP is indeed better. The battery drains on the iPhone badly when you game. Plus you need to do other things on your iPhone, so the battery needs to be conserved. They got it right, but just put it across badly. LOL.